1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle barriers, and more specifically to devices for remotely preventing car movement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High-speed vehicular police chases of criminal suspects can, needless to say, result in harm to innocent bystanders, especially in densely populated urban areas. For this reason and for the sake of apprehending a fleeing criminal, it is highly desirable to stop such chases before unnecessary harm can result. Because a police car chasing a criminal suspect's vehicle is necessarily some distance from that vehicle, an effective device for stopping the suspect's vehicle must operate remotely from that vehicle. While most police carry remotely operating projectile weapons, in the form of guns, these guns can be ineffective in stopping continued movement of a vehicle. Guns typically carried by police are designed to stop movement of people rather than vehicles, and are not suitable for use in stopping a chased vehicle. What is needed is a device that will accurately and effectively disable a fleeing vehicle. The device should be usable regardless of the path that the fleeing vehicle takes. Numerous efforts have been made in these regards, yet nothing prior to the present invention meets the clear need for a remote device for disabling a fleeing vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,353,386, issued on Jul. 11, 1944, to Charles D. Bourcier, describes a device for deflating pneumatic tires. The device acts by passively providing a conduit between the inside space of such a tire and the environment. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,104, issued on Oct. 25, 1977, to Irving B. Osofsky et al., describes a tire-piercing device which is intended to be imbedded in a paved surface. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,714, issued on May 10, 1983, to Walter G. Hutchison, describes a passive device for deflating pneumatic tires by providing a conduit between the inside space of such a tire and the environment. The device may be interconnected with similar devices, which are together placed on pavement where a vehicle is expected to pass. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,756, issued on Feb. 26, 1991, to Donald C. Kilgrow et al., describes a tire deflator with a supporting base that supports and then releases puncturing conduits once such conduits are imbedded in tires. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,894, issued on Sep. 14, 1993, to Michael A. Minovitch, describes a blinding light intended to immobilize assailants. The light is not used to guide or aim a projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,950, issued on Oct. 19, 1993, to Donald C. Kilgrow et al., describes a foldable tire deflator. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,292, issued on Jul. 12, 1994, to Francis R. Williams, describes a tire-puncturing traffic barrier chain. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,285, issued on Jul. 19, 1994, to Kenneth J. Greves et al., describes an apparatus for deflating tires that is collapsible. It is to be placed in front of cars. There is no projectile and no laser aiming or guiding.
All of the above patents are drawn to devices useful for deflating tires of a vehicle following a known path, and are useless in high-speed vehicle chases in which the path of a chased vehicle cannot be predicted. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.